The Solitary Bees

June 4, 2015

Team Candiru (based in Bristol, UK) has created a film showcasing the fascinating behaviour and value of solitary bees. We follow a variety of different species through their struggles to find resources, avoid death and create new life. The finished film will be provided as a free educational resource for schools, conservation projects, wildlife trusts and the general public – free for anyone who loves our bees and nature!

Why solitary bees?

If you go out in your garden today, you’re sure of a big surprise! Gardens, allotments, overgrown derelict sites, everywhere can be a haven for a stunning array of wildlife, if you take the time to look. As well as being crucial, solitary bees are incredible, harmless insects which are very easy to attract and keep in your garden. They pollinate hundreds of crops and wild plants, including wildflowers, shrubs and trees, making them a key species within our UK ecosystem - without them our world would be very different! Their solitary nature has meant they have evolved unique and unusual behaviours to survive without the support of a hive. This film will reveal their lives like never before. Please refer to this recent Nature Outlook article to learn more about solitary bees: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v521/n7552_supp/full/521S62a.html

This film was made mainly in and around the Avon Gorge and Clifton Downs in Bristol, in South Wales. We have had the support of the National Trust, Natural England, Buglife, Environmental Justice Foundation, Nuturing-Nature, Campaign for the Solitary Bees, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Natural History Network, Wildlife Film-News, Bristol Zoo Gardens and Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project and a huge thank you goes out to them for their advice and help with access and sponsorship.